Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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Background of the Invention
The solar heating siding unit of the invention
provides a simplified and aesthetic clear glass pane type
construction adapted to be secured to the side of a building
in a vertical position which efficiently uses solar energy
to heat the inside of a building to which it is attached.
A heat collector confines the air to be heated by the sun
and a heat exchanger of generally thin non-selfsupporting
aluminum foil closes in the building side of the unit.
Automatic operated dampers control the flow of air though
the unit from and into the building and along the heat
exchanger and a bright surface secured to the building and
fail safe automatic operated dampers p~ovide for discharge
of heated air to atmosphere in the event a predetermined high
temperature is reached in the unit.
Summary of the Invention
The solar heating unit of the invention in general
is directed to a compact siding panel which is secured to the
side of a building. The siding panel includes a housing which
supports double clear glass panes which are spaced from the
wall of the building and through which the rays of the sun
can pass. On the inside of the housing or as a separate
member stapled to the building a bright foil of aluminum or
the like is located adjacent to the sheathing or wall of the
building.
Inside of the siding panel a dead air space is
provided by a heat collector having a heat exchanger consisting
of an inner generally thin single member of aluminum foil or
the like supported by a frame. The foil is painted a dull
color on the inside and has a bright surface on the building
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side. The heat exchanger foil extends longitudinally parallel
to and in spaced relation to the glass panes and the bright
aluminum foil which is provided against the building surface
of the building to be heated. The heat collector is closed
at the top and bottom so that it traps the dead air located
therein and the air is heated by the sun's rays projecting
through the double glass panes to in turn heat the aluminum
foil heat exchanger which is spaced from the bright surface
provided on the building. By spacing the heat exchanger foil
member from the foil member on the building, a longitudinal
vertical passage is provided in the siding panel in which any
air flowing therethrough is heated by the foil members.
The longitudinal passage terminates at the upper
and lower ends in enlarged spaces.
Above the enlarged space at the bottom there is
located a horizontal passage in the wall of the building to
which the panel is applied which extends into the lower
portion of a room of the building to be heated. Below the
enlarged space at the top of the siding panel there is
located another horizontal passage through the wall of the
building into the upper portion of the room of the building
to be heated. Under controlled temperature conditions air
flows through the lower passage from the lower portion of
the room, thence into the longitudinal passage where it is
heated by solar heating by the heat exchanger and the bright
reflective surfaces on the building as it flows upwards and
then is discharged as heated air into the upper portion of the
room.
The flow of the air is controlled by a number of
dampers or valves preferably operated automatically by bi-
metallic temperature sensors.
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Each horizontal passage has an outer damper on the
end facing the room and an inner damper on the end facing
the longitudinal passage. The inner dampers close before the
outer dampers because the setting for the inner damper is
normally set to close at a temperature lower than the outer
damper. The inner dampers both open or close at the same
time as do the outer dampers.
Additional fail safe dampers are provided for
opening and closing openings in the siding panel at the
upper end and lower ends adjacent the generally large spaces
in these areas. These dampers open when the temperature in
the longitudinal passage reaches a predetermined set higher
temperature than that desired in the siding panel and as
fail safe protection discharge the heated air to the outside
of the panel.
The siding panel also has other features which
will be described in detail in the description of the
invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
The drawings furnished herewith illustrate the
preferred construction of the present invention in which
the above advantages and features are clearly disclosed as
well as others which will be readily understood from the
following description of the illustrated embodiments of the
invention.
In the drawings:
Fig. 1 is a front view of the siding panel of
the invention with parts broken away to illustrate water
heater coils;
Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1
with the lower and upper dampers to the building room open
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and air flowing from the lower portion of the room into the
longitudinal passageway where it is solar heated and passes
into the upper part of the room;
Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with the
outer dampers open and the inner or room dampers closed
and the fail safe dampers closed in a condition with the
air inside the panel increasing in temperature;
Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 2 in a
winter setting arrangement such as before sunrise, with
the inner dampers open and at a setting ready to receive
heat but with the outer dampers still closed;
Fig. 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 with the
lower and upper fail safe dampers open to atmosphers to
discharge the overheated air in the panel and with the
outer dampers open but with the inner dampers closed so
that no air flows from the room into the longitudinal
passage and no heated air is discharged into the room;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of the solar
heating siding illustrating an additional fail safe con-
struction with the outside dampers in a closed position;
Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 with
the outside dampers activated by the outside metallic
valves to an open position by temperatures above 50 - 60
with the outside bi-metallic valves doing all the work;
Fig. 8 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 with
' the outside dampers in an,open posit,ion and,with the
.
inside fail safe bi-metallic valves actuated by exces-
sive temperatures of 135 - 150 F and the inside bi-
metallic valves pushing the dampers open; and
Fig. 9 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6 with the inner
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fail safe bi-metallic valves pulling their respective chain
tightly to seal the damper such as on an extremely cold night.
Descri tion of the Preferred Embodiment of the Invention
p
Referring to the drawings there is shown a siding
heating panel having a housing 1 with the lower and upper
vertical extending flanges 2 which are secured to the building
structure 3 by the lag bolts 4.
Flanges 2 are joined to the upper and lower
horizontally extending closure members 5 of housing 1 which
extend horizontally outwardly a substantial distance to space
housing 1 a predetermined distance from building structure 3.
Closure members 5 are secured at the outer end to frame 6 of
housing 1 which is illustrated in Fig. 1 as having a rectangular
configuration.
Inside housing 1 is a closed heat collector 7. The
upper and lower members 8 of heat collector 7 extend horizont-
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ally inwardly from frame 6 in a position inset from the housing
closure members 5 to provide the spaces 9 at the upper and
lower end of the siding heating panel. Heat collector 7 is
closed on the sides and is completed on the inside by a
single generally thin non-selfsupporting foil member of bright
material such as aluminum or the like which acts as the heat
exchanger 10 and is secured at opposite ends to the upper and
lower frame members 8. The thickness of the foil providing
heat exchanger 10 may be standard working thickness foil.
Heat collector 7 is completed on the outer side
by double and horizontally spaced panes 11 of glass which
are secured within frame 6. The opposite ends of panes 11
are confined within gasketed grooves 12 provided by frame 6
and respective flanges 13 which extend vertically from the
upper and lower closure members 5 of heat exchanger 7.
Spacers 14 of plastic or aluminum are located intermittently
between the glass panes 11 to support the panes. Normally
panes 11 are chemically coated on the inside to prevent
excessive condensation forming on the glass of panes 11 and
weep holes 15 may be added to likewise aid in overcoming this
problem. Normally the outer glass pane 11 is provided with
a rippled surface 16 as illustrated in Fig. 3 to eliminate
annoying reflections.
The described construction of heat collector 7
provides a dead air space between panes 11 and foil 10 in
which the air is heated by the rays of the sun projecting
through panes 11. To enhance this build-up of heat in the
air, the inside of foil 10 of heat exchanger 7 is painted a
dull color. However, the outside of foil heat exchanger 10
which faces building structure 3 remains a bright surface in
order to convey heat from the heated air located in heat
collector 7 to the air which may be lowing upwardly past
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the bright surface of heat exchanger 10.
Foil heat exchanger 10 is spaced outwardly of building
structure 3 and the latter is convered with a generally thin
non-selfsupporting foil 17 of a bright reflectional material
such as aluminum which may be provided separately or as a part
of the siding heating panel of the invention. The longitudinal
passage 18 is thus provided between foil heat exchanger 10
and foil 17 through which the air to be heated flows upwardly
of the panel. The bright foil 17 reflects the heat in the
flowing air away from the building structure 3 and thereby
protects the latter and in turn aids to maintain heat in the
air flowing in passage 18.
In order to heat building structure 3, which is
shown with the insulation 19, by use of the siding heating
panel, a lower passage 20 extends through the wall of build-
ing structure 3 from longitudinal passage 18 above lower space
9 and to a room, not shown, of building structure 3. A simi-
lar upper passage 21 extends through the wall of building
structure 3 from longitudinal passage 18 below the upper
space 9 to the same room as the lower passage 20.
The lower passage 20 may be opened or closed on
the inside or room side by a valve or damper 22 joined by
hinge 23 to building structure 3 and actuated automatically
to an open or closed position by the bi-metallic temperature
sensor 24, depending upon the temperature at which sensor 24
is set. Sensor 24 is secured at one end to building struc-
ture 3 and at the other end to damper 22. Likewise the upper
passage 21 on the inner or room side may be opened or closed
by a valve or inner damper 25 joined by hinge 26 to building
structure 3 and actuated automatically to an open or closed
position by the bi-metallic temperature sensor 27 depending
upon the temperature at which the sensor 24 is set. Ordinarily
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when lower damper 22 is closed, then upper damper 25 will be
closed as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, or both dampers will
be open as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 4.
The lower passage 20 may b~ open or closed to
longitudinal passage 18 on the outside of building structure
3 by a valve or damper 28 pivoted by hinge 29 to building
structure 3 and actuated automatically to an open or closed
position by the bi-metallic temperature sensor 30, depending
upon the temperature at which sensor 30 is set. Likewise,
the upper passage 21 may be opened or closed to building
passage 18 on the outside of building structure 3 by a valve
or damper 31 pivoted by hinge 32 to building structure 3 and
actuated automatically to an open or closed position by the
bi-metallic sensor 33 depending upon the temperature at which
sensor 33 is set. Ordinarily both damper 28 and damper 31
will simultaneously be open or closed.
In order to provide the siding heating panel with
a fail safe construction, several expedients are employed.
The spaces 9 on the immediate lower and upper end portions
of the siding heating panel open to the atmosphere through
the respective lower and upper openings 34 in frame 6. The
lower opening 34 may be closed or opened by a valve or damper
35 which is pivoted by hinge 36 to frame 6. Damper 35 is
actuated automatically to an open or closed position by the
bi-metallic temperature sensor 37 depending upon the tempera-
ture at which the sensor 37 is set which mormally is above
the temperature at which the dampers employed with passages 20
and 21 connected to the inside of building structure 3 are set.
Sensor 37 is secured to the damper 35 and to the lower member
8 of heat exchanger 7.
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The upper opening 34 may likewise be closed or
opened by a valve or damper 38 which is pivoted by hinge
39 to frame 6. Damper 38 is actuated automatically to
an open or closed position by the bi-metallic temperature
sensor 40 depending upon the temperature at which sensor 40
is set which normally is above the temperature at which
the dampers employed with passages 20 and 21 connected to
the inside of building structure 3 are set. Sensor 40 is
secured to the damper 38 and to the upper member 3 of heat
collector 7. The fail safe dampers 35 and 38 would normally
both be open or be closed.
For an additional fail safe protection a plug 41
of plastic or metal is employed at the top and bottom of
the siding heating panel of the invention which will melt
at a predetermined safe temperature and permit venting of
high temperature air in the event dampers 35 and 38 are
damaged or fail to open. In order to prevent dampers 35
and 38 from being injured by the wind suddenly opening them,
each damper is constructed of metal or if of plastic has a
metal insert which engages the magnetic clamping gasket 42
located on the outer side of the upper and lower vertical
flange projecting from closure members 5 and 6 respectively
of housing 1 against which the dampers 35 and 38 abut when
closed.
The operation of the siding heating panel or unit
is described hereinafter in connection with the setting of
the various dampers.
Referring to Fig. 2, assume by way of example that
the setting is for winter. Thus the sensor 24 of the lower
inner damper 22 has been preset by the occupant of the room
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to close at a temperature selected between 68 - 75 F.,
and to stay open below the selected temperature as illus-
trated by the open position in Fig. 2. The sensor 30 of
outer lower damper 28 has been preset by the occupant to
open at a temperature such as 80F. and stay open at that
temperature and that temperature has been rea~hed so damper
28 is open. At the same time, the sensor 27 of the upper
- inner damper 25 has been preset by the occupant of the room
to close at a temperature selected between 70 - 85 F., and
to stay open below the selected temperature as illustrated by
the open position in Fig. 2. The sensor 33 of the upper
outer damper 31 has been preset to open at a temperature
such as 80F. and stay open at that temperature and that
temperature has been reached so damper 28 is open. Under the
described settings the air to be heated flows through a lower
passage 20 into the longitudinal passage 18 where it is solar
heated and is then discharged through upper passage 21 into
the room of building 3. The lower fail safe damper 35 and
upper fail safe damper 38 are preset to open at a temperature
selected from 100 - 14S F. and are shown as closed in Fig. 2
because the temperature in the panel has not reached the
selected high temperature.
In the summer the temperature settings of the
sensors to actuate the inner dampers 22 and 24 would be
from approximately 55 - 60 F.
- Fig. 3 illustrates the position of the dampers when
the panel is heating up to deliver heat to the room. In this
condition, the respective sensors 30 and 33 have been actuated
at 80 F. to open the outer dampers 28 and 31' respectively but
the temperature sensors 24 and 27 have not reached a condition
where heat to the room is called for by opening lower inner
damper 22 and upper inner damper 2S respective~y.
Fig. 4 illustrates the solar heating siding panel in
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a condition before sunrise to receive heat but no heat yet being
produced. Thus the inner lower damper 22 which has been set at
68~ is open and the inner upper damper 25 which has been set at
75 is also open. All the other dampers in the panel remain
closed.
In Fig. 5, the sensors 37 and 40 have been set to open
the fail safe dampers 35 and 38 respectively at a temperature,
for example, at 135 F. This temperature has been reached so
that the heated air is being discharged to the atmosphere with
the outside air entering the longitudinal passage 18 at the lower
end and forcing the hot air out through the upper end of the
panel.
In order to heat water in the solar heating siding
panel, particularly in the summer, water heating coils or pipes
43 may be located therein such as in the upper space 9 as shown
only in Figs. 1 and 2. As illustrated in Figs. l and 2, coils 44
extend therefrom to the coils of a water heater or the like, not
shown. It is also necessary to provide a safety valve 45 set to
a predetermined temperature to discharge the water to overcome
any problems of overheating.
Figs. 6-9 disclose additional safety features which may
be employed with the solar heating panel of the invention.
~ eferring to Fig. 6 there is illustrated an outer bi-
metallic valve 46 in the upper part of the siding heating panel
and a second outer bi-metallic valve 47 in the lower part of the
siding. The valve 46 is connected to the upper damper 48, which
is closed by gravity, by the chain 49 which is shown in a slack
condition. Similarly the lower outer valve 47 is connected to
the lower damper 50 by the chain 51 which also is in a slack
condition. The inner bi-metallic upper valve 52 is
10`
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connected to upper damper 48 by the chain 53 which is shown in a
slack condition and lower inner valve 54 is connected to lower
damper 50 by chain 55 which also is in a slack condition. In
this condition of the closed dampers 48 and 50, no air is flowing
through the passageway 56 and the panel is at rest or may be
providing heat to the building to which the solar heating panel
is secured.
Referring to Fig. 7, the upper outside damper 48 and
lower outside damper 50 are open as they have been actuated by
temperatures above 50 - 60 F. by the outside metallic valves 46
and 47. All the chains 49, 51, 53 and 55 are in a taut condition
and the outer bi-metallic valves 46 and 47 are pulling the
dampers 48 and 50 to an open position. The open condition of the
dampers would be representative of about seven o'clock A.M. on a
summer day to allow cooling of the solar heating panel before
temperatures of 135 F. are reached inside the solar heating
panel. Thus the building surface is shielded and drafted at
temperatures lower than the inner fail safe can offer.
P~eferring next to Fig. 8, the solar heating panel is
exhausting air under a condition in which the inside bi-metallic
valves 52 and 54 are actuated to push dampers 48 and 50 to an
open position by excessive temperatures of 135 - 150 F. The
outer bi-metallic valves 46 and 47 are passive and their
respective chains 49 and 51 are in a slack condition as are the
chains 53 and 55 connecting the inner valves 52 and 54 to the
respective dampers 48 and 50.
Referring to Fig. 9, the dampers 48 and 50 are shown in
a closed condition as on a sunless winter day or extremely cold
night such as 10 F. below zero. In the condition shown
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in Fig. 9, the inner bi-metallic valves 52 and 54 have pulled
their respective chains 53 and 55 to a taut position to tightly
seal the respective dampers 48 and 50 and the outer chains 49 and
51 are in a slack condition.
The vertical location of the solar heating panel of the
invention provides for the sun's rays to contact the panel at the
lower incidence of reflection of the sun's rays in winter because
of the lower position of the sun. In the summer the high solar
angle of incidence of the sun's rays tends to reflect sunlight
downward and lessen the heating of the panel. The panel may also
be operated from reflected lighting from another building or from-
a mound of dirt covered with ice and snow.
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Although the dampers are preferably operated
automatically by sensors, the dampers could be operated
manually. The temperature sensors for actuating the
dampers are manually set to the desired temperature from
outside the panel and in the building by cranks, not
shown, which rotate the metal of the bi-metallic sensors
to the desired temperature setting.
A space is left in the building to receive the
panel or panels and the panel blends into the building
and provides an aesthetic appearance.
Current siding materials and technology fail to
deal with thermal and chemical actions in such an advanced
way as the present invention. Current siding materials
actually seek to prevent solar energy from giving the structure
any heat in winter when it is needed and prevent any shading or
cooling in summer when that is needed. The siding materials
used previously all rely on an insulated mass to moderate
any undesirable gains or losses. In winter, when the sun
shines on conventional siding, the siding gets hot but
immediately gives up its heat to the cold atmosphere, not
the structure. In summer the siding again gets hot but because
of higher outside air temperatures. The siding cannot release
its gained heat easily and eventually acts as a heat sink
transferring heat into the building interior. Trends and
lower initial costs have reinforced this type of design thought
in the siding market.
Furthermore, the exterior siding material has always
been exposed to the elements, and more commonly, various
corrosive pollutants that lessen life and fade coloration.
Other problems of conventional sidings include
thermal expansion and contraction. Large lengths of masses
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of siding varying over 150 on a Fahrenheit scale cause
cracking, buckling, crazing, and fatigue of surface forcing
a shorter life for the material.
In winter, when the solar heating siding panel of
the invention is struck by light, the heat that is gained
is not lost to the atmosphere but added to the house interior
or used to warm the house exterior wall and thereby cause
the building to lose less heat through the wall. In summer
when heat is not needed, the solar siding panel is not heated
by effectively venting any heat gained by the panel siding
into the atmosphere. Hence, even though the panel siding is
in the sun, the building wall is in the sahde. Conventional
siding secured to the building leaves only heated contacts
or heated air spaces adjacent the building walls. Furthermore,
the transparent surface of the solar heating siding panel of
the invention reflects much of the unneeded light energy in
summer because of the high solar angle on the vertical surface
of the siding. Conventional siding materials and design have
little tendency to do this. In summer by passing the hot air
to be vented over pipes in the upper fail safe area preheating
of a domestic hot water supply can also be accomplished.
This could never by done with conventional siding.
Because the solar heating siding panel of the
invention has an outer transparent cover of glass or plastic
or the like, it does not suffer the degradation from the
elements and pollutants such as conventional siding does.
Being of a clear exterior, it cannot fade. Being thicker
than paints and films, it cannot peel. It will not rust,
and can be made undentable, and unbreakable.
Because the dull coloration of the solar heating
siding panel on the inside is bonded to a thin metal foil which
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is supported in a framework, it can expand and contract
over an extreme temperature range and not be so rigid as
to crack or buckle the coloration layer off as in a more
rigid solar heating assembly. Also since it is protected
from wind and rain, it will not be easily corroded and thus
give the owner extremely long product life.
The thin foil heat exchanger may also be easily
changed at little cost for other colors on the inside surface.
The owner may find such a feature highly desirable if he tires
of one color, or if the heat exchanger of the solar heating
siding panel should be accidentally damaged. The design of
the invention would allow panel parts or complete panels to
be replaced with relative ease. This cannot be done with
conventional siding structures.
lS The important aspect of using a bright metal foil
to protect the building outer structural wall has not been
discovered by others. As in other siding methods, insulation,
or a material acting as an insulant, is used to prevent heat
gains or losses. While this has been the acceptable method
for some time, it has also been bulky, expensive, and in the
case of some materials used, dangerous. Bright foil in the
design of the present invention acts to prevent heat gains or
losses to the outer structural wall. Its advantages are that
it is cheap, safe and compact.
The important aspect of using a single non-
self supporting metal foil as a collector-heat exchanger has
also been ignored. Others have failed to recognize that its
thinness would allow flexing under thermal expansion and
that it would not craze or crac~ surface coverings. Also,
because of the thin mass, this material would heat up faster
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than stiff or rigid plate or sheet, thereby allowing superior
collection of energy during periods of alternate cloudiness
and brightness. The brightness of the non-self supporting foil
on the building side of the heat exchanger is equally important.
It allows rapid dissipation of the collected heat into the
air. The bright foil does a far better job of this than normal
rigid sheets or plates. It is a more efficient heat exchanger.
Foils are lighter, and cheaper, than any other metal product
for this application. The present siding is lighter than
other types and thus saves energy in transportation to building
sites. It will place less stress on the building and provide
faster and easier erection.
Generally, a metal foil is considered to be no
thicker than a common tree leaf. However, a nominal thickness
of one-thousandth to one ten-thousandth of an inch thick are
standard working sizes used in the foils of the invention.
, Both the foils of the invention are of a thinness that they
require a framework to support them.
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